Chelsea in advanced talks to sign £50m Cucurella

Chelsea are in advanced talks to sign Brighton left-back Marc Cucurella and are willing to pay the £50m asking price for the Manchester City target.

The Spaniard handed in a transfer request on Friday in a bid to push through a move to City but the Premier League champions will not pay Brighton's asking price, with Chelsea now in pole position to sign the 24-year-old.

The Seagulls had previously rejected a £30m bid for the full-back from Pep Guardiola's side, who are looking for a replacement for Oleksandr Zinchenko after he joined Arsenal.

Cucurella enjoyed a hugely successful first Premier League season after joining from Getafe in a deal worth around £15m last summer and was named Brighton's player of the season.

Brighton do not want to let Cucurella leave and it would take a huge offer for them to sell as he has four years remaining on his contract at the Amex. However, the left-back has now pushed for a move by asking to be sold.

Chelsea have now moved for Cucurella with doubts surrounding the future of left-back Marcos Alonso, with Barcelona reportedly wanting to sign the 31-year-old this summer. Blues captain Cesar Azpilicueta is also wanted by the Spanish giants with the defender having one year left on his deal.

First-choice left-back Ben Chilwell, who joined from Leicester in August 2020 for £50m, missed the majority of last season with a knee injury but has returned to full fitness in pre-season.

Thomas Tuchel's side have made two signings this summer with the arrivals of Raheem Sterling for £47.5m from City and defender Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli in a £33m deal.

Napoli are in talks with Chelsea over the loan signing of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, according to Sky in Italy.

The west London club have